Hello, why religion friends? John Hilton here.

In about the year, 605 BC, the prophet Jeremiah stood in Jerusalem carrying a clay jar.

After the people had gathered to hear him speak, Jeremiah smashed the jug onto the ground.

Can you picture the scene? The jar explodes against the stones, clay shards scatter across the square.

Jeremiah says, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, even so I will break this people as one breaketh

a potter's vessel.

Well, as you can imagine, Jeremiah's prophecy didn't go over very well.

A temple officer hit Jeremiah and put him in the stocks to shame him. Think of the suffering Jeremiah is

experiencing. He's doing exactly what God told him to do and his life is getting harder. So Jeremiah

said that he had had enough. He said, I will not make mention of God nor speak any more in his

name. In other words, he said, I quit being a prophet. This is just too hard.

But Jeremiah couldn't stop prophesying. He then said, but God's word was in my heart as a burning fire

shut up in my bones and I could not stay. Ponder that phrase, God's word was in my heart as a fire in my bones.

We all want to have God's word that deep in our hearts and to help those that we love do the same.

As gospel teachers, how can we help others get God's word deep in their hearts?

It is not impersonal.

It is this, I mean, my, it is deliberately vulnerable where you are pondering uncomfortabilities.

You're engaging real questions.

You're considering new faithful acts that might be scary.

You're seeking higher, holier ways when you know that means I'm going to have to do some repenting.

And it's that. It's very personal.

And so I'm teaching all this.

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